What Hurts the Most
by peaceloveandmungbeans
Summary: AU. Shelby had sought her out, and left her before, leaving the brunette to believe that it could happen again. When an accident brings them together once more, Rachel has to learn to trust the mother that loves her with all her heart.
1. Chapter 1

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><strong>xoxox<strong>

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><p>With a smile shining brighter than the Broadway lights, Rachel Berry stepped through the doors of the choir room, ideas for Sectionals floating about her head. That summer had been one of the best she had ever had- things had changed, but for the better. The whole glee club had gathered more than once, some speaking more than others (Santana was oddly silent, not even shooting bitter insults towards the smaller girl).<p>

Upon entering, the room fell silent, all their eyes burning into her.

"So, I've got a list of songs that we need to start preparing for Sectionals-"

"Have you heard?" Kurt interrupted, as he was known to do.

"Heard what?" she was confused.

"Shelby Corcoran's the new English teacher", Mercedes told her.

The good mood that had been floating around her all day crashed, the bubble bursting. But she wasn't going to let them see it. "Really?" she said nonchalantly. "That's nice".

Puck and Quinn exchanged worried glances- Shelby Corcoran was the one who had caused their glee club so much stress in the past. Sending Jesse St James over to befriend Rachel ('Jesse St Jackass', as he had became fondly known among the boys), the pain she had caused Rachel when she found out that she was her biological mother- but nothing more came out of it. After an afternoon on spying at Carmel High, Shelby broke all contact between her daughter, leaving the fifteen year old heartbroken. Shelby Corcoran was the coach of Vocal Adrenaline, the show choir that had egged Rachel- the vegan of their mishmash group (the boys had travelled to Carmel and slashed their tires). She was the one who had adopted Quinn and Puck's baby girl, the infant replacing the fifteen year old she had abandoned all those years ago.

"She was pretty", Brittany said finally, Santana and Artie shooting her blank looks.

"Hey guys, how was your summer?" Will Schuester said cheerfully, entering the room and finding it in almost silence. He had seen all of his glee kids through the day, but only in passing- the first glee club of the school year was always a time for catching up, one of his favourite lessons.

"Great!" Rachel beamed. "I've devised a list of songs we should start working for to perform at Sectionals-"

"Whoa!" he laughed. "Guys, what about you?"

"I think the songs for sectionals would be a great idea", Finn said quickly, agreeing with his co-captain. "Yeah, Rachel's right".

"Why didn't you tell us Ms Corcoran was coming back?" Puck said angrily.

There was always a reason for silence in the glee room, Will sighed. "Guys, I didn't find out until I arrived here today!"

"She's pretty", Brittany repeated cheerfully, absent mindedly fiddling with a lock of blonde hair.

The next hour was filled with cries from almost all the members of the group, ranging from, "Mr Schue, she fraternizes with the enemy!" to "Is Ms Corcoran going to help out with glee?"

Who knew the newest member of their teaching staff would cause such a drama between his group? She was Rachel's mother, and had left her high and dry, and had adopted Quinn and Puck's baby girl, but she was also the newest member of the William McKinley High School teaching staff.

Sure to bring around a whole lot of drama.

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><p>The next week brought on protectiveness, as the kids from glee kept a close eye on Rachel. They might not have been particularly close- hell, they called her 'hobbit' or 'munchkin' most of the time- but she was a part of their mishmash group. But, for that first week, there was always someone within a metre of Rachel, down to the point where Brittany cheerfully accompanied her to the bathroom.<p>

As Will was always saying, they were a family, and the arrival of Shelby Corcoran was not about to break them apart. Rachel had done all she could to avoid her mother- as well as she could, with Shelby being her teacher- but her friends from glee were there for her.

The twelve of them were laughing and singing, Will beaming, when Emma Pillsbury knocked at the door, her face tearstained. Jumping to his feet, he headed toward the doorway, stepping into the hallway and taking her hands.

"Em, what happened?"

"Its Rachel's fathers", Emma choked out, a single tear running down her face. "There was a car accident today. They didn't make it".

"What?" Will's jaw dropped, and Quinn looked over from her seat.

"What's going on?" Tina wanted to know, as they faced the door.

"I don't know", Quinn said.

"I'm blaming Sam", Santana spoke up.

"What did I do?" Sam wanted to know.

"You probably did something". She shrugged- it was moments like these that she jumped to conclusions, blaming either Sam or Rachel (although, ninety five percent of the time, she blamed Rachel).

"How do you break a kid's heart?" Will wanted to know, and Emma just shrugged. It was something he never, ever wanted to have to tell one of his glee kids. He had a bond with each and every one of them, and having to tell them something as heartbreaking as the news he had just received was going to break his heart as well as theirs.

"Mr Schue", Puck called "what's happenin'?"

"Rachel, can we talk to you for a moment?"

A flash of panic passed through her big brown eyes, but bearing a smile, she tapped over to where the teachers were standing.

"Yes Mr Schue?"

Stepping into the hallway, Will took a deep breath. "Rachel, there was an accident today".

"What?"

"Your dads- they were in a car accident-" Emma whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Rachel, they didn't make it".

For a moment, her face went blank. But then emotion registered, as her face turned a sickly gray colour and tears gathered in her eyes.

And she ran.

"Rachel!" Will called after her, but she ran.

"Where did Rachel go?" Finn wanted to know. "Mr Schue, what's going on?"

"What did Ms Corcoran do?" Puck said angrily, with surprising fierceness towards their teacher. "What happened?"

"Where's she going?"

Will had no idea how to answer their questions- he had no idea where the young brunette was going. He had witnessed many of her diva walkouts (Rachel volunteering to show her fellow glee clubbers a proper diva walkout after a particular incident with Sue Sylvester), but none like that. Tears running down her face, she had fled.

"Guys, there was an accident this afternoon", he said gravely. "Rachel's fathers didn't make it".

"What?"

"Oh my God!"

"Where's she going?"

"We have to get her!"

It had been the same, just over twelve months ago, when Quinn went into labour. They had all accompanied her to the hospital, pacing up and down the waiting room, eagerly awaiting news.

"I don't know, guys". Will shook his head.

"I've got my truck", Finn said. There were many places he thought Rachel would be, but he wasn't sure.

"I'll take my truck too, Artie, are you coming?"

"I'm riding with Mercedes", Artie spoke up, and Tina grabbed the handles of his wheelchair.

"Mike Chang, the truck", Puck commanded, grabbing Lauren's hand, and the eleven remaining glee members trooped out the doors, heading towards the student car park and their respective cars, leaving Emma and Will absolutely bewildered.

"They would not have acted like this last year". Will shook his head, turning back to Emma. "Does Shelby know?"

Emma shook her head, and Will took her head.

"We have to tell Shelby".

Hands in hand, the two headed towards the teacher's lounge, where Shelby was flicking through a student's workbook.

"Shelby", Will said gently, and she glanced up, the resemble she shared with her daughter uncanny. "It's Rachel".

Shelby's eyes flashed with worry. "Is she okay?"

"Not really", Emma whispered. "It's her fathers... they were in an accident..."

"Oh my God", Shelby breathed. "Are they- did they-"

Will just nodded and Shelby took a sharp breath.

"Where is she?"

"She ran".

"Where did she run?"

"The kids have gone after her, they've become incredibly protective", Will told her. "She needs her mum, Shelby".

"Call me the second you hear something", Shelby told her co-workers, grabbing her handbag and leaving her things on the table. "I'm going to find her".

"If you know where she is, call me", Will added hastily, as Shelby fled from the room, at surprising speed for her high heels.

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><p>"Finn she's not answering!"<p>

"Call her again!"

"She's not answering!"

"It's Santana, what do you want me to say to her?"

"Santana?"

"Yes".

"Really?"

"She's not as cold and heartless as you think, Finn".

"What am I supposed to say?"

"Why isn't it Mercedes?"

"Artie's trying to call me, what do I say to Santana? What do I say to Artie?"

"I thought you knew where you were going!"

"I never said I knew where she was, Sam, I just said I had an idea!"

"Your ideas are bad!"

"Oh good God". Kurt waved around his mobile phone. "What am I supposed to say?"

"Tell them we haven't found her and to call us if they know anything!" Sam snapped at Kurt, as Finn gripped the steering wheel even tighter.

Similarly in Quinn's car, they were doing the same thing. With Brittany and Santana occupying the backseat, Brittany dialled Rachel's number over and over, leaving a countless number of voice messages.

"Q, where is she?"

"I don't know, B". Quinn glanced at the footpaths as they drove around slowly; passing the residence they knew was the Berrys'.

"Do you think she's gone home?" Brittany spoke up, as Santana watched out the other window.

Quinn shook her head. "She wouldn't go home".

She knew the feeling, what it was like to lose something, or someone. She had lost her parents, revealing her pregnancy. While she had gained back her mother after the birth of Beth, she had lost a daughter, the tiny little baby she had grown to love in the nine months she had carried her. During their song writing, Rachel had mentioned both Shelby and Beth, but she had shrugged her off. It was possibly the stupidest thing she had ever done.

"She wouldn't have gone home", Quinn decided, continuing to drive along, keeping her eyes peeled for the smallest member of their group.

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><p>Shelby was not the most patient person in the world, but it seemed that that day, people were out to slow her down. When she needed to find her teenage daughter, she acquired every single red light within a thousand kilometre radius.<p>

She really didn't know where she was.

But pulling up outside the Berry residence, she had a gut feeling that the teenager was inside.

During her pregnancy, she had stayed in that house. Hiram and Leroy Berry had practically waited on her hand and foot, as she carried their precious baby girl. Out of all the places she had been, the Berry house was where she felt safe.

Knocking several times on the door and receiving no answer, she pushed the front door open, a large print of the young girl and her fathers. Taking a sharp breath, she heard a whimper.

"Rachel?" she said gently, stepping into what she remembered as the living room. Rachel was curled up under a blanket on the couch, despite the warm weather, and she was shaking.

"Rachel, oh sweetie". Striding over to where her daughter was, she tried to reach out to her, but the brunette pulled away.

"No, no". She shook her head firmly. "No, I don't want you. You're going to leave me again, like you left me last time! I want my dads"

She dissolved into a fresh round of tears.

"I want my dads!"


	2. Chapter 2

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><strong>xoxox<strong>

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><p>Shelby kept her arms around the teenager, pausing only for a moment to call the number she had memorized so well in the last year. The number she had been so tempted to call so many times, to ask if she could possibly speak to her daughter.<p>

"Will? I found her. She went home". Pushing her mobile phone aside, she took Rachel in her arms once more, mumbling soothing words of comfort that usually worked on Beth.

Seeing the other kids' reactions at the disappearance of Rachel, Will decided that he needed to let them know where she was. So upon sending around a mass text message ('Rachel went home. Ms Corcoran is with her'), he and Emma drove as quickly as possible to the Berry house.

Where he found the remaining glee kids.

"Mr Schue, what's going to happen to Rachel?"

"Mr Schue, is she going to be okay?"

"Mr Schue, what's Ms Corcoran going to do?"

"Is Rachel going to live with Ms Corcoran now?"

"Guys!" Will held up his hands. "I don't know, okay?"

"She can stay with us", Finn volunteered. "She can stay with me and Kurt".

"That's very sweet, Finn, but that's something that's going to have to be sorted out legally", Emma told the teenager, as Will disappeared into the house.

He found Rachel sobbing into Shelby's arms, and found himself a little overwhelmed by the scene in front of him. He had seen Rachel cry before- they had all seen Rachel cry before- but they were crocodile tears, a diva act. The tears running down the brunette's face were real and full of emotion, and the sight made the lump in his throat grow even bigger.

"Shh", Shelby murmured, rubbing Rachel's back.

Eventually, her sobs began to subside, and Shelby did her best to turn to face Will.

"Rachel?" he said gently, and the teenager suddenly became aware of the other person in the room.

"Mr Schuester", she choked out, "I am very sorry about running out on you this afternoon; I needed time to process the news". She let out a hiccup. "I don't want it to be true! I want it to be a horrible dream!"

"I'm so sorry, Rachel", Will repeated.

She lifted herself off the lounge, heading into the kitchen, taking down a glass from the cupboard. Turning on the tap, she held the glass underneath it, filling it before taking a long sip.

Shelby recognised the glass immediately- it was the one she had given her before their parting words. She had a matching one at home- and Shelby knew that Hiram and Leroy had brought their daughter a glass of water whenever she was sad. It had gotten, Rachel had mentioned, to the point where she was unsure whether she was sad or thirsty.

Setting the glass down on the counter, Rachel glanced around. "Ms Corcoran, what's going to happen now?"

"You'll come home with me for the night. We'll work everything out in the morning", Shelby told her, and Rachel's eyes filled with tears once more. Will put his arms around her, and Rachel sniffled, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I don't want to go home with you!" she cried. "I want to stay here! I want my dads!"

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><p>It was late by the time they got to Shelby's house in Carmel, Shelby having called to tell Beth's babysitter that she was going to be very, very late. Caitlin, the nineteen year old working her way through college, hadn't minded- she claimed that Beth was her favourite charge.<p>

But the nineteen year old got the shock of her life when a second brunette climbed out of the car.

"Hi Shelby", she said in confusion.

"Caitlin, this is my daughter Rachel", Shelby said quickly. "How was Beth today?"

"She was fine- daughter?"

"Don't ask". Shelby shook her head.

And she didn't. "Beth's asleep; she's been out for an hour. I suppose she will want a bottle soon, though. Do you still want me to come tomorrow?"

"Not tomorrow, Caitlin". Shelby shook her head. "I'll call you tomorrow and let you know what's going on, okay? And I'll pay you".

"No rush", the teenager said easily, picking her car keys off the counter of Shelby's kitchen. "I'm going to head home".

"Drive safely", Shelby warned her, a choking sob emitting the lips of her older daughter.

She had been quiet the entire drive to Carmel, staring out the window, the tears on her face matching the rain. And Shelby was no help- she really had no idea what to say. She had seen her fair share of dramatic teenagers- four years of coaching Vocal Adrenaline provided her with that- but theirs was all show drama. Nothing compared to what her daughter was showing at that moment in time.

Rachel had slumped onto the lounge, her head leaning on a cushion, her eyes fluttering open and closed. Her crying had totally drained her- much as it did to Beth, Shelby noted. Her two daughters had a lot more in common than they thought.

"Rachel, honey, would you like to have a shower and hop into bed?" Shelby suggested. "I can find some clothes and a towel, there's a bed made up".

The brunette shrugged, her eyes glossy. Since her outburst in the house she had shared with her fathers, she had been almost speechless, seeming to follow Shelby and Will around in a trance. She had completely blanked out when her fellow New Directions had peppered her with questions, and glanced at Emma helplessly.

Furrowing through a drawer, Shelby pulled out a large _Wicked_ shirt she had acquired the last time she had been in New York- it was too big for her, so it would definitely be too big for her daughter. Rachel was tiny, in every sense of the word. Pulling a bright yellow towel out of another cupboard, she presented them to Rachel and the sixteen year old wordlessly headed to the room Shelby had pointed out as the bathroom.

Shelby had no idea what to do, or what to say. Having her daughter at her house for the night was something she had dreamed of, ever since she had given her up sixteen- almost seventeen- years earlier. The bond between a mother and a child was unbreakable, and Shelby had done everything to prevent that bond from forming.

As a mother, there was every chance that Rachel would end up permanently in her care, upon the death of her fathers. In a way, it was something she had dreamed of- but not under the circumstances. She wanted Rachel to be there willingly, not after the death of the two people she loved the most in the world.

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><p>Rachel slid her bare legs under the blankets of the big double bed, looking even smaller than she was, in the too-big <em>Wicked<em> shirt. It was a nice room, she supposed, but nothing like the one she had at her house. Reaching for her phone, she decided to check the messages she knew she had received.

_**Rachel where are you?**_

_**You're worrying us Berry where the hell did you go?**_

_**I hope you're ok**_

_**Mr Schue told us where did you go?**_

_**Rachel where are you?**_

_**You need to let us know where you are!**_

_**Whatever you do don't do anything stupid**_

Tossing it aside, she didn't even bother replying, as she put her head on the pillow. They had all gathered outside the house she had shared with her fathers, in the pouring rain (even Kurt, although she knew that he would need to spend at least an hour and a half on his hair that night). Even though she thought Mr Schuester squawked on about the group being a 'family' too often, it had been proved that day.

Her head was spinning at the day's events. There were too many sudden announcements in her life. The arrival of her estranged mother and the daughter Quinn and Puck had given up, the death of her fathers… it was too much to handle at once.

A single tear rolled down her cheek, soaking into the pale blue pillowcase. Sniffling a little, she batted away the tear that threatened to follow.

"Rachel?" Shelby said gently, knocking on the door. "Oh, honey…"

The teenager allowed herself to be pulled into her mother's lap, resting her head on the latter's chest like she was a mere five years old again. Rachel had always wished that she had been able to grasp at her mother's comfort as a child, but when she received it, she found she didn't want it. She'd much rather be in the arms of one of her fathers, but that wasn't the case. Shelby was the only one able to offer her comfort at that point, and if Shelby was going to offer it, she'd be a fool not to take it.

"_I dreamed a dream of time gone by, when hope was high and life worth living. I dreamed that love would never die, I dreamed that God would be forgiving_…"

It took Rachel a moment to recognise the song, but hearing Shelby's strong, sweet voice was enough to bring on more tears. She had sung that song on the tape. Shelby had never stopped thinking about her.


	3. Chapter 3

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><p>Rachel groaned, rolling over and opening her eyes. she hadn't slept properly (Shelby had cradled her in her arms until she thought that Rachel would sleep through the night, padding off to check on Beth before retreating to her own bedroom), tossing and turning, wide awake until she couldn't stand it anymore. Kicking aside the blankets, she shivered a little, padding out of the room she had tried to sleep in.<p>

The house was dark, as Shelby and Beth slept. Rachel had heard the little girl stir once during the night, and upon getting up to check on her, Shelby had brought the blankets over her shoulders, brushing back her hair.

Shelby's house was nice, she supposed- but it wasn't home. It didn't feel right- like she was betraying her fathers. They were the ones who had raised her, and yet they were gone.

She sat cross legged on Shelby's lounge, the light from the lamp illuminating the room.

Where a framed photo caught her eye.

It was her. Regionals, the year they were beaten by Vocal Adrenaline. Regionals her mother told her that she couldn't come to McKinley, that she wanted a house, a family, a dog. The same day that Beth was born. The day she was so sure they were going to win, only to have her heart shattered into a thousand pieces.

But there she was- as she and Finn sang, her mouth broken into a grin. With Finn's words before they stepped onto the stage- with his honesty, there was no way she couldn't smile.

Picking up the frame, she held in her hands, staring at it hard.

"Rachel?" Shelby said sleepily, turning on the main light and making her jump. "Sweetie, what are you doing?"

Rachel wordlessly held up the photograph, blinking her huge eyes at her mother. "Where did you get this?"

"Carmel always hired a photographer for Regionals and the sort", Shelby said as an explanation, rubbing sleep away from her eyes. "I found this, and knew it belonged on my mantle". Taking a seat beside her daughter, she put an arm around her shoulder.

"Would it be alright if I get a lift to McKinley with you in the morning?" Rachel whispered.

"Of course, sweetie, but are you sure you want to go to school?" Shelby sounded concerned, and Rachel moved a little closer.

"I want some normalcy in my life, even if it has been turned upside down".

A few days earlier, they would have labelled Rachel Berry as a drama queen, but she was being honest. Her life had been dramatically altered in the space of twenty four hours, giving her the right to act a little dramatic. Shelby pulled her tight, rubbing Rachel's back, feeling her heartbeat against her own chest. She pressed a kiss to the top of Rachel's head, holding her tight.

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><p>She went through school in a daze, Shelby and the glee kids watching her carefully. She was quiet through her classes, doing her work and staring blankly at the windows. She poked at her salad in silence beside Tina, finally packing up the container and placing it in her bag.<p>

But glee was far by the worst part of her day. While Will talked at the front of the room, leaning casually against the piano, she blinked around frantically, trying to work out why she was there.

Quinn glanced at Rachel, her heart panging for the brunette- not that she would ever admit it. She knew how it felt to have your heart ripped out of your chest. When her parents kicked her out, she had found herself sobbing, trying her hardest to breathe. When she gave Beth up, she cried herself to sleep every night for the entire summer.

"Rachel, what do you think?" Will asked gently, and Rachel visibly jumped.

"Sure", she mumbled. "Whatever".

Mercedes and Kurt looked shocked- when it came to show tunes, it was hard to quieten the brunette. They had all been excited, when it came to flying to New York, but Rachel had been by far, the most. She had talked at a million miles an hour for the entire plane ride, ignoring the fact that her club mates were either asleep or wearing earphones.

"Seriously?" Santana said incredulously, and Quinn turned to glare.

"Kurt or Mercedes can do it", Rachel said. "Quinn, even. Her vocal range has improved dramatically since Nationals".

Quinn's eyebrows raised in surprise. "but-"

Rachel stood up from her seat, moving swiftly towards the choir room door.

"Can someone go..." Will's voice trailed off, as the door slammed.

Quinn stood up, making Santana's eyes widen. Following Rachel, she headed into the girl's bathroom closest to the choir room, to find her bend over a sink, breathing heavily.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel wanted to know, splashing water over her face.

They hadn't had the best track record. Quinn had been a tormentor of the brunette since they first started at McKinley High, slushying her almost every day (or getting others to do it). By the end of her first week, Rachel was keeping spare clothes in her locker, preparing herself for her daily encounter with Quinn. Rachel hadn't done anything to the blonde- but she was a target. Rachel had always been civil, offering to help the blonde at every opportunity.

Quinn pulled a wad of paper towelling from the dispenser, running it under cold water and dabbing Rachel's face- when she was pregnant and in the throes of morning sickness (very wrongly named), Rachel would wet paper towels and put them at the back of her neck. Quinn had always snapped at her to get out, but the brunette had never left until the paper towels were on the back of the blonde's neck.

"Don't", Rachel choked out, pulling away, but Quinn held her firmly, dabbing at her face. As her breathing grew less laboured, Quinn let go of the brunette and she sunk down against the wall.

"Why are you here, Quinn?"

"I know what it feels like to lose a parent", she said lamely.

It wasn't the wisest of wording, as Rachel fired up. "No you don't! Your parents may have kicked you out, but they're still alive! Shelby was the one who gave me up at birth, and swapped me for a baby! Dad and Daddy were the only ones I had!"

She had always referred to the glee club as her family (as had Will), and as much as the others whined and complained, they knew they felt the same way.

"I just want to be left alone", Rachel whispered, and Quinn lingered in the doorway, unsure whether or not she should leave her. she couldn't believe that the girl she had tormented for so many years, was the same one in front of her. that girl she'd tormented hadn't shown any emotion, upon the slushie being thrown in her face.

"Go!" she shot, and Quinn slipped into the hallway, unsure what to say.

"Quinn!" Shelby said in surprise, coming down the corridor just as the blonde exited the bathroom.

"Sorry", Quinn apologised, sliding away.

"Where's Rachel?"

Quinn just pointed, and Shelby just sighed, putting her head in her hands.

"I know it's going to take her a long time to adjust, but she's avoiding everyone. She didn't even look at Beth yesterday; she locked herself into her bedroom. I want her to do something- scream, yell, punch something- but she's not". Right then, Shelby sounded as vulnerable as her daughter. "You know, Quinn, for sixteen years I wandered around, looking for Rachel's face everywhere. I wanted to know where she was, what she was doing. Was she a singer, was she a dancer? Was she happy? When I saw her at Sectionals, I knew she had had the best life possible. But I wanted to meet her. Maybe if I hadn't, she wouldn't be like this. I would be a stranger, but I wouldn't be the mother that abandoned her".

Quinn looked shocked- more so because it had only just clicked that Rachel was living in the same house as the daughter she had given up. The little girl she hadn't seen since the day she was put up for adoption. She had been so close to contacting Shelby, so many times over the year, but she was worried it would open wounds, and she knew that Shelby would be the one able to give Beth a better life than she or Puck could.

"I want you to meet Beth", Shelby said suddenly. "I want you to have the chances that I didn't with Rachel".

"Not now". Quinn shook her head.

The bathroom door opened, and Rachel found herself facing her mother and her tormentor, sighing and turning around.

"Rachel", Shelby tried, and Rachel blinked at her.

"Can we go home?" she whispered.

Shelby just nodded, putting an arm around the brunette.


	4. Chapter 4

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><p>The days funerals were held were either pouring rain or shining sun. On the day that Hiram and Leroy Berry were buried, rain fell in sheets. Rachel growled at the offending thunder on the roof, as she pulled her dress up her legs. Reaching for the zipper, she pulled it halfway up her back before swapping hands.<p>

"Want some help?" Shelby offered, knocking on the door. Rachel shook her head firmly, resting her head on her mother's shoulder.

"Is Beth coming? I don't know how Quinn and Puck will feel about that".

Shelby was amazed- even at her worst, her daughter thought about others.

"Caitlin's coming to watch Beth", Shelby said gently. "She'll be here in a few minutes, and then we'll head off".

Rachel sighed heavily, before sliding her feet into her heels. "I'll go and wait downstairs for Caitlin".

Shelby was almost there. She had almost broken through the barriers.

She just needed time.

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><p>"Where's Rachel? Is she here yet?" Finn wanted to know, pacing a little.<p>

"Calm down, Finn", Will told him. "She's coming with Shelby, remember?"

"where's Shelby?" was the next question.

"Finn, honey, sit down", Carole told him.

So Finn sat, but it didn't stop his foot from tapping.

The click of a set of high heels made them all turn around, as Rachel advanced through the middle of the aisle, Shelby's hand on the small of her back. her face was pale and emotionless, not making eye contact with any of them. Taking a seat on the first pew, she took Shelby's hand.

"She is so not okay", Mercedes whispered, and Will put a hand on her shoulder.

"We're all meeting back at the school at three thirty, remember? The auditorium", he reminded her. "Shelby's going to bring Rachel".

He had called the older brunette the night before, and while Shelby had sounded confused, she had agreed to bring her daughter back to the school after the funeral (and once more, it was proven to Will where Rachel got her persistence from. "Will, what are you going to do?" she had asked, at least nine times in the six minute conversation they had had).

The funeral was nice, as far as funerals went. Rachel stepped up to the podium, still emotionless, and spoke about her fathers.

They were the best parents any girl could have. They gave her the best childhood they could, and were there for her at every opportunity.

"I hope I'll always make my dad and daddy proud", she finished, before taking the seat beside Shelby once more.

Shelby squeezed her hand gently, wiping away her own tears. "That was beautiful, Rachel".

"Thank you", she mumbled.

Will and Emma had half expected the young brunette to burst into song- like she had on so many occasions. But that day was too much for her.

Once it was over, Rachel turned to her mother. "can we go home now?"

Shelby looked at the young girl's face, and blinked away a fresh round of tears. "Rachel, Mr Schue and the glee club have something for you, we're going to go to McKinley for a few minutes, but I promise you that after that. We're going straight home".

For a moment, Shelby thought the teenager was going to crumple. But, straightening up her shoulders, Rachel nodded.

"Okay", she said finally.

* * *

><p>"Will, what is this?" Shelby wanted to know, clutching Rachel's hand, as Will lead the pair to the auditorium.<p>

"It was their idea", Will told her honestly. "Rachel's always been the glue that holds this club together- she needs it".

So Shelby looked to the stage expectantly, as they came into view.

"_You're not alone, together we stand. I'll be by your side; you know I'll take your hand. When it gets cold and it feels like the end, there's no place to go, you know I won't give in__…__ no, I won't give in_", Finn sang,

It was the same song that Rachel had organised the glee club to sing, once Quinn's pregnancy was exposed. They had stood by her the whole time, down to wheeling her into the emergency room- and Rachel knew, at that moment, that they would stand by her.

"_Keep holding on, __'__cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through. Just stay strong, __'__cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you. There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do, there's no other way when it comes to the truth! So keep holding on, __'__cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_…"

Rachel's tears poured down her face, Brittany pulling her into a rib-crushing hug. Sobbing into the blonde's shoulder, Brittany pulled Santana closer, Finn joining the hug.

Before she knew it, they had all gathered in, the tiny brunette being squashed into the middle. It was a mixture of tears and laughter, as they hugged her tight.

It didn't matter what happened.

She had her family.


End file.
